Aura Guardians Versus Aura Darkens
by Aprotny
Summary: When Ash and Tracey, who are both descendants of Aura Guardians, are kidnapped by the Aura Darkens, things go downhill very quickly. Soon, a war of aura stretches across the pokemon world. Can Ash and Tracey stop it or is it too late? I do not own Pokemon. Dicontinued.
1. Tracey Kidnapped

Tracey smiled as he tidied up the lab. Professor Oak was in Hoenn right now so he had some free time after doing his normal chores.

There was a crash and the sound of breaking glass downstairs. Tracey almost went to go check it out, but he heard a voice just then.

"Find him."

The color drained from Tracey's face and he wildly looked around for a place to hide. Right as he found one, someone grabbed his arm.

Tracey turned to look at him, panic in his eyes.

The man put a gun to the boy's back. "Walk."

Tracey obeyed and was led downstairs, out of the house, and into a van.

His captor pulled out a walkie-talkie. "I've got him. We're in the van."

"We're coming. Knock him out." Came the answer.

"Stay still." The man ordered, pointing the gun at Tracey.

Tracey nodded fearfully. The man dipped a cloth in some type of liquid and put the cloth on Tracey's face.

It was only moments before the boy passed out.


	2. What They Want With Him

When Tracey woke up, he was still in the van, but three people other than the one who had led him down to the van were in there with him. Also, the vehicle was moving.

"Hey! The boy's awake!" One of Tracey's captors announced.

Tracey scrambled backwards.

"Don't bother knocking him out again. We're almost there and the boss will want him awake." The driver told them.

Tracey bit his lower lip, wondering what they wanted with him. Deep down, he already knew.

The van slowed down and Tracey was sure he heard a gate open before they started moving again.

Another of his captors grabbed his wrists and handcuffed them together. When the van stopped again, he felt a gun on his back again.

Scared, he stumbled out of the van.

A hand was placed on his shoulder and steered him around the van and into an abandoned building.

A man waited inside and grinned devilishly when he saw Tracey.

"Tracey Sketchit?" He asked.

Tracey nodded numbly.

The man started pacing in front of Tracey. "From what I understand, your father has taught you in the art of aura, that you are a descendent of an Aura Guardian that knew the famous Sir Aaron, and that you know an actual descendant of Sir Aaron. Also, your family is in contact with many other aura guardian families." He stopped. "You are going to tell me who those families are and you're going to tell me now."

Tracey gulped. "You must have the wrong kid. I don't even know what aura is."

"Lies, lies, lies." The man said, waving his finger. He stepped closer to Tracey and lifted the boy's face up with one finger. "Let's start easy. Show me your skills or die."

Tracey hesitated.

"Come now, Tracey. You don't want to die, do you now?" The man said.

Tracey created a small ball of aura in one hand. "Are you happy now?"

The man grinned. "Yes. Very happy."

Tracey let the ball of aura disappear. "Try all you want. I won't tell you who they are."

"You'll have to curve eventually, Tracey." The man said. "Until then, you are our prisoner. Take him to the cell we prepared."

Tracey took one last glance at the man before allowing his captors to lead him away.


	3. News and Secrets

Professor Oak hurried back to Pallet Town as soon as his neighbor, Delia Ketchum, called saying there were police at the end of his driveway.

"Officer Jenny, what's going on?" He asked when he got home.

"Your assistant's been kidnapped. Right now, we have no clues as to who did it, why, and where they took him. We're still investigating." Officer Jenny told him.

"Please find him as quickly as possible!" Professor Oak begged.

"That's our job." Officer Jenny assured him.

Delia stepped up beside him. "Mimey and I tried to stop the truck, but they shot at us to make us stop."

Professor Oak paled. "I sure hope Tracey's okay. We have to find him."

As if things couldn't get any worse, Ash walked up just then. "Mom? Professor Oak? What's going on?"

Delia and Professor Oak spun around.

"You just picked the worst possible time to come home." Professor Oak said as Delia hugged her son.

"Why? What happened?" Ash stared at the police that were coming in and out of the professor's lab. He realized something. "Where's Tracey?"

"Gone." Professor Oak said sadly. "That's why the police are here. Tracey's been kidnapped."

Ash gasped. The look on Pikachu's face was one of shock.

"Mimey and I tried to stop the van they were getting away in, but they shot at us. Mimey got wounded. He's in the town pokemon center right now, being treated." Delia said.

"Tracey… Mr. Mime… please be okay…" Ash whispered.

"Why don't you and Ash go home, Delia?" Professor Oak suggested. "There's nothing more you can really do here and it'll just get you more depressed."

"Can I see my pokemon?" Ash asked. "They might need some calming after this."

"Alright, Ash, but only you, because I trust you to be here right now." Professor Oak told him seriously.

Ash nodded and walked into the gardens, stopping to tell Officer Jenny that Professor Oak had given him permission to go try to calm the pokemon.

It took a while to get the panicky pokemon under control. The sun was setting by the time everyone was calmed down.

"I have to go home now." Ash told his pokemon. "But I'll be back tomorrow."

Just as he was about to leave, he noticed a time flower, which was rare, especially outside of Hoenn.

"A time flower? What's it doing here?" He wondered. Curious to see what it had recorded, he touched it.

An image appeared. Tracey was sitting with Bayleef and Bulbasaur.

"I have a secret." He told them. "I want to share it, but it can't just be said." He took a deep breath. "I want to show you."

He stood up and conjured a ball of aura. His audience gasped.

Tracey did a trick with the aura and then smashed it between his hands, causing it to disappear.

"You won't tell anyone, will you?" He asked Bayleef and Bulbasaur, who shook their heads.

The image disappeared.

"No way!" Ash said. "I can't believe he can do that so easily! He must've had a lot of practice!" He paused and looked at his pokemon. "Do you… do you think that's why they took him? Because he can use aura?"

"Ash!" Ash heard Professor Oak calling him. "It's getting late! Your mother wants you home!"

"We won't tell him, right?" Ash asked his pokemon.

The pokemon replied in their various pokemon calls, most of them saying they wouldn't.

"I'm coming, Professor Oak!" Ash called and headed home with his newfound secret.


	4. Ash's Turn

A year and three months passed. Tracey's captors tried everything but the boy wouldn't break. By now, he knew they needed him alive, so nothing they did would work. Not to mention he was determined not to betray his fellow aura holders.

Meanwhile, Tracey's father had found out about Ash's aura and was secretly training him like he had Tracey. They were doing well until Ash had to fight to keep from being kidnapped as Tracey had.

Desperate to stay away from the kidnappers, Ash grabbed Pikachu and his backpack and ran away. He called his mom as soon as he got to Viridian City to let her know he was okay, which was good because she was worried sick about him.

"Why'd you leave, Ash?" Delia asked him.

"I had to, Mom. I didn't have much of a choice." He told her. "I love you. Bye." He hung up.

"We can't stay here long, Pikachu." He told Pikachu. "If we do, they'll find us, which spells trouble for the both of us."

"Pika…" Pikachu sighed sadly.

"Why'd don't we go visit Misty? I'm sure she'll love to see us." Ash suggested.

"Pika!" Pikachu perked up immediately.

"That's better! We'll spend the night in the pokemon center and then start in that direction!" Ash said happily. "Come on, Pikachu!"

As he ran towards the pokemon center, one of the people he'd been trying to avoid stepped into his path and pulled out a gun.

"Not a move." The mysterious man said. "No calling for help either."

Ash froze with his eyes on the gun.

"Now, put down your Pikachu and take off your belt and put that on the ground also. There will be no fighting back." The man ordered.

Ash obeyed, trembling.

"Freeze!" Ash had never been more relieved to hear Officer Jenny's voice. "Lower your weapon."

The man snickered. "And why should I listen to you, Officer? The boy is mine now. If you continue to interfere, you'll be too."

Ash heard Officer Jenny release her Growlithe, who knocked the gun out of the criminal's hand before he could do anything. Quickly, the boy grabbed his belt and ran to hide behind Officer Jenny, Pikachu following him.

A van pulled up beside them. Three men jumped out. One of them grabbed Ash and covered his mouth, causing him to drop his belt. The force of the drop made all three pokeballs on the belt pop open while Pikachu fought to save his trainer. Bayleef, Totodile, and Tepig joined the fight.

Officer Jenny pulled the boy to safety as soon as the man holding him was forced to let go.

Growling, the four men made a getaway in the van.

Officer Jenny ran after them for a few yards before it was obvious she wouldn't be able to catch up.

Then, she turned and headed back to Ash, who was sitting on the ground and trying to catch his breath.

"Are you okay, kid?" She asked. Ash nodded. "Come with me. We'll need to file a report about this so that we can be on the lookout in case they decide to strike again."

Ash nodded again and stood up to follow. "Re-return." He stammered, returning his pokemon to their pokeballs.

Pikachu climbed up onto his shoulder, keeping a sharp eye on his surroundings.

"Are you all set?" Officer Jenny asked receiving a third nod. "Good. Let's go."

Ash followed the officer to the Viridian City Police Station.

"I need you to tell me everything, okay? Even the smallest detail is important." Officer Jenny told him.

Ash told her what he knew, excluding the part about being able to use aura.

"And do you know why they were after you?" Officer Jenny asked.

Ash was silent for a moment before shaking his head slowly. He didn't want to lie to the officer, but he felt he had to.

"Are you sure? Any little thing could help us." Officer Jenny persisted.

"I'm sure." Ash said, even though he wasn't.

"Okay. We're going to keep an eye on you tonight just to make sure they don't try again the moment you leave our sight, understand?" Officer Jenny said.

"I understand." Ash whispered.

With that said, Ash headed for the pokemon center, a police officer secretly following him, which was good because the men tried and failed again as soon as he was out of view of the police station.

After saving him, the police officer who'd been following him rushed Ash back to the police station.

"You'll stay here tonight." Officer Jenny decided as soon as she was told what had happened. "We have no choice but to watch over you at all times."

Ash bowed his head. "Great. Just great."

"It's best if we tell your parents about this, can you give us their number?" Officer Jenny asked.

Ash hesitated a second. He didn't know if he should really involve his mom in this, but if these men succeeded in kidnapping him… He gave Officer Jenny the number and waited patiently while she had a talk with his mom.

"She wants to talk to you." Officer Jenny told him.

Ash agreed and took the phone from her. "Hello?"

"Ash! Thank goodness you're okay! I'm really worried about you! Stay close to Officer Jenny, okay?" Delia said.

"Yes ma'am. I doubt I have much of a choice in that matter anyways…" Ash mumbled.

"Ash, speak clearly! I can't hear you!" Delia told her son.

"I said 'yes ma'am'!" Ash repeated. A gas poured into the building, unnoticed by most of its inhabitants. A moment later, the gas began to take its toll on people. Ash turned. "Huh? Wh-what's going… on…" He fainted.

"Ash! Ash, answer me!" Delia yelled into the phone. She heard a voice on the other end.

"Don't take any of the stupid officers. We just want the boy."

Delia's heart sank. On the screen, she could see her son being picked up by a man wearing a gas mask.

"Ash! No!" She cried. The man turned and shot a bullet at the screen, ending the transmission.

Delia ran out of the house and over to Professor Oak's house, where she relayed what she had witnessed. They quickly got into the car and drove to Viridian City. The police officers were just waking up when they got to the police station.

They ran inside and Delia rang the bell that said 'ring for service' repeatedly until someone finally came to answer it.

"What is it?" The officer said groggily. He shook his head to clear it. "I'm sorry. May I help you, ma'am?"

"My son! He was here! I was talking on the phone with him!" Delia cried. "He fainted! And then I heard someone say to just take him! A guy with a gas mask appeared on the screen and picked him up! Then, the gas mask guy shot a bullet at the screen! That's all I got to see!"

The officer blinked. "I'll be right back."

He went and got Officer Jenny, who confirmed that what she'd seen had actually happened and that Ash was nowhere to be found.

Delia sank to her knees, weeping.

"Don't worry, Delia. We'll find him." Professor Oak comforted.

"Sure! Just like we found Tracey!" Delia snapped. Then, her hand flew to her mouth. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to…"

"I know, Delia." Professor Oak struggled to hide his emotions.

"Tracey?" Officer Jenny questioned.

"My assistant." Professor Oak explained. "He was kidnapped over a year ago."

Officer Jenny stared at him for a moment. "The two knew each other, right?"

"Yes. They travelled together for a while and it was actually thanks to Ash that Tracey and I met." Professor Oak said.

"There might be a connection between the two kidnappings. The question is what?" Officer Jenny said. "Can you call Tracey's parents here?"

"Yes. It shouldn't take long for them to get here. They were staying in Pallet Town with us." Professor Oak said. "Can I use your phone?"

"Of course. It's over there." Officer Jenny replied and pointed to the phone.


	5. Explanation

"Aura." Tracey's father, Jason, said. The group turned to look at him.

"What about aura?" Professor Oak asked. "I know it's a force inside all creatures and that it could possibly be what causes evolution, but what does that have to do with the kidnappings?"

"Have you ever heard of the Aura Guardians?" Jason asked.

"Yes." Officer Jenny replied. "They were humans that could manipulate aura and used it to help people. There were also the Aura Darkens, who could also manipulate aura, but used it for dark purposes."

Jason nodded. "That's correct. I heard a few days ago from a trusted source that the Aura Darkens are planning to go to war with the Aura Guardians."

"I still don't see what this has to do with the kidnappings." Professor Oak said. "What are you getting at, Jason?"

Jason looked at him seriously. "I fear Tracey and Ash may have been kidnapped by the Aura Darkens."

The group stared at him.

"The Aura Guardians and the Aura Darkens are just a legend." Officer Jenny said. "They're _not real_."

"Even if they were real, why would they want Ash and Tracey?" Professor Oak asked.

"Ash and Tracey are both descended from Aura Guardians. They have the power to manipulate aura." Jason said. His statement was met with silence.

"Prove it." Officer Jenny said. "Prove that Aura Guardians exist."

Jason formed a ball of aura in his hand. "Proof enough for you?"

Officer Jenny was speechless once more.

Jason's wife, Janet, finally spoke up. "We have to find them. By kidnapping them, if we are correct in our assumptions, the Aura Darkens just made a declaration of war."

**Meanwhile…**

Tracey looked up when the door to his cell opened. One of his captors, Herald, stepped inside and placed an unconscious body onto the cot.

He turned to look at Tracey. "Enjoy your new cellmate."

He left, snickering although it wasn't very funny, closing and locking the cell door behind him.

Tracey glanced over to see that the boy Herald had just brought in was his friend Ash.

With a gasp, he crawled over to his friend, not able to walk because his leg had been broken the last time Harry, the boss of his captors and the man who'd confronted him when he first got here, had wanted answers.

Of course, Harry hadn't gotten any answers that time either, but that was beside the point.

"Ash! Ash, wake up!" He shook his friend.

Ash gave a small moan and then opened his eyes. Tracey didn't even get the chance to say anything before his friend's arms were around him.

"Tracey! You're okay!" Ash said.

"In a way… I guess so…" Tracey replied. "In another way… we're both in trouble now… Ash, have you ever heard of the Aura Darkens?"

Ash pulled out of the hug to look at him. "Yeah. My dad told me about them when I was little. I once overheard him telling my mom they were real, but she didn't believe him. I believed him though. Why are you asking?"

Tracey took a deep breath. "They're the ones holding us prisoner and I'm worried they've kidnapped us as an act of war."

The color drained from Ash's face. "Say what?"

"It's true. They've been trying to get me to reveal who the other Aura Guardian families are, but I won't tell them. If I told them, it would be all over for everyone." Tracey said. "They'll probably try to get it out of you next."

"But I don't know any Aura Guardian families." Ash said.

Tracey looked at him sympathetically. "Then you'd better hope they don't beat you up."

If possible, even more color left Ash's face at that statement.

They heard footsteps.

"Pretend to be asleep." Tracey hissed.

Ash nodded and obeyed.

Tracey didn't even have the chance to pretend to look at his friend sadly before the door was thrown open, startling him.

"Out of my way!" Harry yelled, using his aura to throw Tracey across the room. He picked up Ash and shocked both of the prisoners. "Wake up!"

Ash's eyes flew open as two of Harry's cronies cornered Tracey.

"Leave him alone! He doesn't know anything!" Tracey yelled.

"Quiet, boy!" Harry snarled at him. He turned back to Ash. "Tell me who the Aura Guardian families are!" Ash shook his head bravely and Harry slammed him against the wall. "Now!"

"How can I tell you when I don't know myself?" Ash asked.

Harry growled. "You do know! And you're going to tell me!"

"He's telling the truth! He really doesn't know!" Tracey shouted.

"Silence!" Harry pulled out a gun and pointed it at Ash. "Speak."

Ash trembled at the sight of the gun. "But I really don't know…"

Harry gave him one final shock before dropping him. "We'll be back."

Ash stayed still. The gun was still pointed at him and stayed pointed at him until the cell door was shut.

"Ash! Are you okay?" Tracey limped over to him as fast as possible.

Ash nodded. "Tracey, what do we do? If we're not careful, they'll end up killing one of us for answers."

Tracey paled. "Don't worry, Ash. We'll survive this. We have to."

Ash stared at him. "You're right. We're going to survive this. The first step is finding a way out of here."

Tracey sighed. "Tried and failed. There's no way out of here. It's specially designed so that no Aura Guardian can get out."

"But we're not Aura Guardians." Ash said.

"The moment you use your aura to help someone, you're an Aura Guardian." Tracey told him. "But this cell is meant to hold in trained Aura Guardians. How much do you know about using your aura?"

"Not much. Your dad taught me a couple of tricks, but I can't fully control it." Ash responded.

"If you're not trained very much, there's a possibility the barrier won't keep you in." Tracey said. "I, for one, think it's worth a shot."

Ash nodded. "Once I get out, I'll go for help. Then, I'll lead them here."

He went up to the door and called out Bayleef. "Bayleef, use Body Slam on the door."

"Good luck, Ash!" Tracey called as the door was broken down and Ash made a run for it.

He didn't hear Ash's response clearly, but it sounded something like "I won't let you down!"


	6. Escape to Charicific Valley

Ash raced away from the Aura Darkens at top speed.

Stumbling along, he found that he was near the Charicific Valley, which also meant he was near his Charizard.

"Find him!" He heard someone shout.

His heart pounded faster. The Charicific Valley might be his closest, maybe even his only, safe haven.

He started running towards the valley. Soon after the Charizard rock formation was in view, he heard footsteps behind him.

They were gaining on him!

He ran faster out of adrenaline.

Unfortunately, a rock seemed to appear out of nowhere and he tripped and went tumbling for a few feet before rolling to a stop.

One of his pursuers used aura to lift him into the air. The man shocked him and Ash let out a scream.

**Meanwhile…**

Charizard was bathing in the water with Charla when they both heard a scream. To Charizard, it was an awfully familiar scream, but he couldn't put his claw on where he'd heard it before.

The scream came again and Liza ran towards them.

"Someone's in trouble!" She called. "We need to help them! Come on!"

She climbed onto Charla and then Charizard and several of his friends followed as they took to the sky, heading in the direction of the person in danger.

Charizard squinted as a group of people came into view. A boy was being held in the air by what seemed to be magic.

Suddenly, Charizard recognized the boy. It was his trainer, Ash! That was why he had recognized the scream! Ash was the one in danger.

Out of anger, Charizard fired a Dragon Breath attack at the three men who were attacking Ash. The boy fell to the ground, knocked unconscious upon contact.

Charizard sped up, scooping his trainer off the ground before the three men could recover.

One of the men shook his head to snap out of it. "Hey! Stop that Charizard! He's getting away with the boy!"

"I think we've got other things to worry about." The second man had returned to him senses. "There must be at least twenty Charizards up there!"

All the Charizards except Ash's Charizard and Charla attacked the men, who quickly made a run for it.

"We'll be back!" The third man called over his shoulder. "That boy is ours!"

Liza glared at them, and then turned back to look at the boy in Charizard's arms. "Poor Ash. Let's get him back to the valley. We can treat him there."

**Later…**

Ash opened his eyes, expecting to be back in the cell with Tracey.

Instead, he found himself in a soft bed with a wet cloth on his forehead. Turning, he saw it was dark out. Also, Charizard was fast asleep next to him.

"Charizard?" Ash whispered. Charizard opened his eyes. "Charizard, did you save me?" Charizard nodded. "Thank you, Charizard." Tired, the boy closed his eyes. "I'm not feeling very well…"

The door opened and closed and Ash opened his eyes again to see that Liza had just come in with two plates of food: one for Charizard and one probably for him.

"You're awake. Thank goodness. It's been almost two days since we fought those men and rescued you." Liza said. "Here. Eat."

Ash nibbled on the food. It took a little bit, but, eventually, he finished it all.

Liza removed the wet cloth and felt Ash's forehead. "You still have a little bit of a fever. You'll have to rest some more."

"My mom." Ash whispered. "I was talking to her when I was kidnapped. She must be worried sick."

Liza's expression turned serious. "I didn't think of that. We need to call somebody to let them know you're here."

Ash coughed. "The Viridian City Police Department. They were trying to protect me from those men when it happened." He coughed again. "Call them and tell them what happened. Tell them I escaped and was running from my captors when I tripped and they caught up. That was how things were when you found me."

Liza nodded and turned to Charizard. "I trust you're going to keep watch over him for me?" Charizard nodded. Liza turned back to Ash. "He hasn't left your side since we found you. I'm sure he'd stay even if I didn't ask him to. I'll go make that call for you now."

She went into the other room.

Ash turned to look at Charizard. "Really, Charizard? You haven't left my side?"

"Char." Charizard shook his head.

Ash smiled lightly. "Thank you, Charizard. You're a good friend." He coughed again, closed his eyes, and drifted back into a restful sleep.

Such was the situation when Liza returned.

"So he's gone back to sleep?" She asked. "That's good. He needs his strength in order to recover."

Charizard watched his trainer worriedly.

Liza sighed. "Don't worry, Charizard. He'll be just fine. All he needs is some food and rest and he'll be better in no time." Charizard was silent. Liza frowned. "You're worried about those men aren't you? Well, there's no way we're going to let those freaks onto our reserve or anywhere near Ash!"

"Char." Charizard gave his thanks.

Liza beamed. "No worries! We've got fire-breathing guards all over the place!"


	7. Aura Fights On The News

**Three days later…**

Harry held up his hand, putting Tracey in a bubble of dark aura.

"Let me go!" Tracey cried halfheartedly, knowing it was useless.

Harry grinned. "Give it up, Kiddo. You're our prisoner and nothing's going to change that."

Tracey threw an Aura Sphere at the inside of the bubble, but the attack was reflected back at him, knocking him unconscious.

"Let's move it." Harry called to his henchmen. "I told his father we'd meet in Violet City to make a deal on the boy's life, and I have a plan to turn the odds in our favor."

**An hour later…**

Jason tapped his foot impatiently. He'd brought along several other Aura Guardians in case the Aura Darkens tried to start something.

He saw the Aura Darkens marching through the street towards them.

"Ah. Jason. So we meet again." Harry sneered.

Jason growled when he saw Tracey unconscious in the bubble. "Let my son go, Harry. What did he ever do to you?"

"He didn't cooperate." Harry growled. "So, he paid for it."

Jason glared at Harry. "What did you do to him?"

"Oh, nothing that could kill him." Harry replied. "It was his own Aura Sphere that knocked him out. I'll set him free as soon as all eight of you surrender yourselves to me."

"Never!" Jason responded angrily. "If you don't let Tracey go by yourself, we'll have to make you!"

"So that's the way it is, hm?" Harry snickered. "Aura Darkens, attack!"

**Meanwhile…**

"Liza?" Ash called.

Liza came into the room. "What is it, Ash?"

Ash slipped out of the bed. "Thank you for everything, but I should get going now."

"Char!" Charizard objected. "Charizard!"

Ash stumbled a few steps before grabbing the bedpost for balance.

Liza shook her head. "No. You're still not well enough to travel. You need to stay here a little longer."

"But Tracey needs me! Those men still have him prisoner!" Ash protested.

Liza put a hand on his shoulder. "Then we'll tell the police where he is and they'll rescue him, but you need to stay here." She smiled. "How about some television? I'm sure watching some battles will cheer you up."

"But I did that _yesterday_!" Ash complained.

Liza sighed and flipped on the TV. "Would you rather watch the Charizards battling around the reserve?"

Ash shook his head. "No. I'd rather go rescue Tracey."

"The police told me to keep you here until you were safe."

"I'll never be safe. You can't keep me here forever."

Suddenly, a news reporter on the television caught their attention. "**Breaking news: Fights between aura users have broken out across the world. All innocents are advised to stay inside. More news on this to come shortly.**"

Liza shut off the television. "That's not something fun to watch."

Ash snatched the remote from her hands and turned the news back on, desperate to hear what was going on.

"**Moments ago, the legend of Aura Guardians and Aura Darkens was proved true when a fight of aura broke out in Violet City in the Johto Region.**" The news reporter was back."**It has been confirmed that there were riots by Aura Darkens breaking out in Viridian City in Kanto, Slateport City in Hoenn, Jubilife City in Sinnoh and Castelia City in Unova shortly after. So far, it's been noted that about twelve gym leaders and two champions have been kidnapped by the Aura Darkens. Everyone is advised to stay away from them for fear that they may end up captured as well."**

Ash was trembling. Tracey's words came back to him: 'I'm worried they've kidnapped us as an act of war.'

Liza gently took the remote from him. "Now you're definitely staying here. That battle is too close for comfort. I'm scared to even go get groceries now."

Ash took a deep breath. "Well, I'm not! C'mon, Charizard!" He ran for the door, stumbling twice along the way.

Liza grabbed him by the hood of his shirt. "Oh no you don't! You're not going anywhere near that battle!"

"Let me go, Liza! I have to help!" Ash begged, struggling against the young woman.

"Ash, no! Give me one reason why I should let you go help!" Liza replied.

Ash turned around and looked her in the eyes. "Because my friends are in danger and I can't just sit here and let something bad happen to them!"

Liza let go of his hood. "Fine, but I'm coming with you. The same with Charla."

"Thanks, Liza." Ash said. "I really appreciate it."

Liza winked at him. "I know what it's like to feel the need to help your friends when they are in danger."

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Ash urged impatiently.

They went outside and Liza called for Charla. Then, they were off towards Violet City.


	8. The First Battle

When Tracey woke up, he found himself still in the bubble, but surrounded by battle.

He saw his father and Ash's father and several other Aura Guardians fighting his captors.

Since the Aura Guardians and Aura Darkens were distracted with the fight, Tracey was the only one who heard and saw the Charizards coming.

"Ash!" He called.

Ash heard him and, squinting, saw the bubble. "Charizard, use flamethrower on that bubble!"

Charizard had to squint too, but managed a well-aimed, powerful flamethrower that somehow popped the aura bubble.

Free at last, Tracey made a run for it, hiding in a deli that was near the battle.

With both the Aura Guardians and the Charizards against them, the Aura Darkens had no choice but to retreat from Violet City.

Ash ran into the deli as soon as they were gone. "Tracey! It's safe to come out now! The Aura Darkens are gone!" Tracey crawled out of his hiding spot and, like many others, walked outside. Unlike many others, though, he ran up to the Aura Guardians and thanked them for saving him.

The surrounding citizens and trainers in Violet City started booing the Aura Guardians because of the fight.

The Aura Guardians looked around and decided it was time to leave. Just as they turned to go, however, they were bombarded with news reporters asking about the fight.

"Let me take care of this." Jason said, one hand on Tracey's shoulder. They turned to face the reporters. "The Aura Darkens were the ones who started this. They kidnapped my son just over a year ago as an act of war. At the time, we didn't know it, but we figured it out when another of our children was taken as well. The second child managed to escape but my son didn't. They brought him along today in an attempt to make us surrender, but it turned into a fight instead. If this goes worldwide, we will need all the help we can get to stop the Aura Darkens. By help, I'm talking about Pokemon Trainers. It will be a hard fight, and I certainly didn't want it to come to battle, but if it does, please don't hold back. The Aura Darkens are dangerous. We'll need every hand on deck to defeat them once and for all." He turned to Tracey. "C'mon, Kiddo. Let's go home."

The news reporters pressed for more, but Jason refused and called out his Dragonite to help him and Tracey get home.

"Come on, Ash." Ash's father, Michael, said. "Let's get going as well. I know your mother's been worried sick about you." He called out his Pidgeot and climbed on.

Ash ran over to his Charizard and eyed the other trainers nervously, silently complaining about being dragged into this.

**Later…**

Delia was overly relieved to see Ash when he and Charizard landed in Pallet Town. The young boy was immediately attacked with hugs and kisses.

"Mom… can't… breathe…" Ash coughed.

Delia quickly released him. "I'm just so glad you're all right, pumpkin. I was so worried about you."

Ash suddenly remembered how the news report had said that twelve gym leaders and two champions had been kidnapped. "I need to call Misty."

"What's that?"

"Misty. I need to make sure she's okay."

Delia was confused, but agreed.

"Oh, hello, Ash." Misty's sister, Lily, answered the phone. "Misty can't come to the phone right now. She's… uh… facing a challenger."

"You made that up." Ash said. "I need to know the truth about where Misty is."

Lily frowned and then sighed. "The truth is, we don't know. She went for a walk and never came back."

"I figured it was something like that." Ash murmured. "Thanks for telling me, Lily. I needed to know if something happened to her."

"You think something happened to her?" Lily asked.

"Yes, I do." Ash replied. "And I'm going to find her if something has. Bye, Lily." He hung up the phone. "So Misty is one of the missing gym leaders. I wonder who else has been kidnapped."

Just then, the phone rang. Ash picked it up. "Hello?"

"It's Brock. Is Ash there?" The caller asked.

"This is he."

"Ash, my little brother's disappeared! I think he was taken by the Aura Darkens!"

"I just called the Cerulean Gym. Misty's gone as well."

"This is a big problem. We need to find them."

"I'll call Tracey. I think he's going to want to help. Let's meet in front of the pokemon center in Viridian City in two days' time."

"Okay. See you then."

"Bye."

"Bye."


	9. Chapter 9

**Two Days later…**

Brock hurried towards the pokemon center in Viridian City. He knew he was late and didn't want to keep Ash and Tracey waiting any longer.

Suddenly, he screeched to a halt. An aura fight had broken out in front of the pokemon center. Ash and Tracey were nowhere in sight. They were probably hiding from the Aura Darkens, like many others.

"Brock." Brock spun around to find Tracey behind him. "Ash is planning to let himself be captured so that we can track down the facility where they are keeping the gym leaders and champions that were captured. I tried to talk him out of it, but he's convinced that it's the best plan."

Brock narrowed his eyes. "I'm going with him."

"How will you convince them to take you?"

"I'm a former gym leader and they seem to be after gym leaders. If I try to interfere, they'll definitely take me."

"I never thought I'd say this about you, Brock, but you're as stupid as Ash."

"Say what you want. I have to find Misty and my little brother."

"I don't know, Brock. You'll get hurt."

"So will Ash."

"Ash is different."

"I'm going, Tracey."

Tracey paused and looked at what appeared to be a tracking device. "They're on the move. We'd better start moving too if we want to keep on their trail."

Brock looked at where the aura fight had previously been. Now, there was just an unconscious man being loaded into a police car.

"That's my father." Tracey whispered. "He came along to protect us and then the Aura Darkens attacked. He lost the fight and the police think he's an Aura Darken."

Brock stared at him. "Does that mean… your father is actually an Aura Guardian?"

Tracey nodded. "But we'll work on busting my father out of jail later. Right now, we have to track down Ash and the gym leaders."

Brock nodded. "Lead the way."


	10. Chapter 10

**Two months later…**

"We're close. I know it." Tracey said.

"You said that last week." Brock mumbled.

"Do you want to get Misty, Ash, and your little brother back or not? I'm trying my hardest. Now come on! We're really close now!" Tracey replied.

**A few minutes later…**

"Hey, we're near Cameran Palace now. I can see it from here." Brock said, taking in the view. "But that's beside the point. Tracey, you said we were close. Where…"

"They're in Cameran Palace." Tracey replied. "At least, that's what my tracker says. If the Aura Darkens have taken over Cameran Palace, they've probably taken over this whole town. We need to be careful."

Brock agreed. "You're right, but how will we get to Cameran Palace without being seen."

"Leave it to me." Tracey winked. "I'll get us in no problemo."

**Later…**

Tracey and Brock snuck through the halls of Cameran Palace carefully. Tracey's tracker beeped silently, leading the way to Ash.

They found him with Lady Ilene and several Aura Darkens in the throne room.

Making sure not to show themselves, the two boys turned to look at each other, trying to think of a plan without saying anything out loud.

"Do what you want to me. The Aura Guardians will stop you." They heard Ash say.

"Quiet, boy. You can't delay your death. As soon as the boss comes back, it's over for you." An Aura Darken said.

"How can you do such a thing?! Ash is just an innocent young boy!" Lady Ilene shouted.

"He's also an untrained Aura Guardian who gave himself up to us for unknown reasons." The Aura Darken smirked. "His father and the others will not find him in time. It's over. Ah. Boss. Is it time?"

Tracey tensed. He heard Harry answer. "Yes, it's time. Are you ready, young Ketchum?"

Tracey used his aura to peek around the corner. Harry had just pulled out a sword and was about to use it.

Knowing there was no time to waste, Tracey leapt out and blasted the sword away from Harry.

"What the… Well well well, it looks like we've attracted another Aura Guardian!" Harry smirked. "Here to save your little friend?"

"Leave Ash alone! What did he ever do to you?!" Tracey yelled.

Harry's smirk grew. "He did nothing. Killing him will simply send a message to the Aura Guardians that they mustn't get in our way."

Tracey narrowed his eyes and stepped in front of Ash and Lady Ilene. "Just try."

Harry grabbed his sword and flung it at Tracey. The boy trapped it in an aura bubble. The sword clattered to the ground when he released it.

"Looks like conventional methods won't work here, huh, Tracey? How about an aura battle? Whoever wins gets both the prisoners." Harry suggested.

Tracey shook his head. "No. _All_ the prisoners. Gym leaders and champions included."

Around the corner, Brock's eyes widened.

"A fight to the death, then. Whoever dies first loses." Harry grinned. "Just you and me. In the stadium."

"A fight to the death? Tracey! Don't!" Ash cried.

Tracey hesitated and then nodded. "Deal."

"One more thing: everyone watches." Harry said.

"No problem." Tracey replied.

"Tracey! You can't!" Ash yelled.

Tracey ignored him.

"You have twenty minutes to say your goodbyes." Harry said. "Then, the fight begins."


End file.
